13 March 2017

Forthcoming eventsThis list may be out of date if you are reading an archived
issue. For full information visit our Calendar page.
March 2017

Monday 20 March RCTS
Chester
Paul Chancellor. A Colour-Rail Presentation. Paul, from
Bromsgrove,
is owner of Colour-Rail and will highlight the work of many fine
railway photographers covering the better part of 70 years. He is also
the RO Editor for the ‘Preservation and Other Railways’ section.

Tuesday 4 April North Wales Railway Circle
Bangor to Hong Kong by
Rail. Adam Fetherstonhaugh gives an account of his epic journey by rail
from Bangor to Hong Kong via Beijing and then on to Vietnam and
Cambodia.

Wednesday 5 April RCTS
Liverpool
David Rapson. Railways - The Digital Effect David, who lives in
Connah's Quay, has worked on the railways for many years spending a lot
of his life in Control positions and now works for West Coast Railway
Company. He is also a Branch member and for those who read Rail Express
will be aware of his contributions.

Friday 7 April Clwyd
Railway
Circle Railways of North Cheshire in
Early BR Days Being a Manchester lad, Russell Hatt was able to capture
the busy scenes around his home area.

Monday 24 April RCTS
Chester
George Jones : Onwards to Corwen.George lives in Wrexham and for
many
years has been an important publicist for the Llangollen Railway and
certain of its locomotives. He will cover the railway’s reinvigoration
of the line to Corwen and look at its future
prospects.

Tuesday 2 May North
Wales
Railway
Circle AGM and Annual Photographic
Competition. The Annual General Meeting of The North Wales
Railway
Circle will be followed by the annual photographic competition.
Members are invited to submit their work in three categories, prints,
slides and video. Video to be kept reasonably short, approx. 5
mins.
In line with Circle rules all work should have been taken in the last
12 months.

Abergele station back in business - pictures by Roly High

A picture survey of Abergele and Pensarn station in its simplified
form, ready for westbound trains again on 13 March after work to remove
the platform loop line and widen the platform. Pictures taken on Sunday
12 March. The signalbox remains in use for the moment, but controlling
signals only as all points have been secured out of use.

At the east end, the full length of the platform could not be widened
due to remains of the old line still being in place. Actually removing
the points at both ends is a project for the future.

The platform is well-provided with double-sided lights, complete with
yellow bands to deter people from walking into them. The grey structure
carries an indicator which we expect will show, for the benefit of the
train guard, the word 'OFF' when the starting signal, awkwardly placed
on the right-hand side of the line, is cleared.

Valley - Cardiff air service hiccup

Van Air Europe, which has been operating the Welsh Government's north -
south air service on behalf of 'virtual airline' Citywing, has had its
operating licence suspended by safety regulators following an
'incident' on 23 February during 'storm Doris'. Citywing has ceased
trading and gone into liquidation. Passengers have apparently been told
that their tickets will be valid by rail. The Citywing press statement
says:

As a result of Van Air losing their route licenses on
Friday 24th February 2017, the company has found it difficult to
source suitable viable aircraft to fulfil our contracts. The company
has tried to offer a service whilst suffering considerable losses but
these have proved unfortunately to be commercially unsustainable.

However, the service will continue, as yet another operator has been
found to give it a try: Eastern Airways, operator of a number of
internal services around the UK.

A closer look at 57 007. Rebuilt from 47 332, it is one of the
batch of twelve Class 57/0 locos originally delivered to Freightliner,
without train heat supply as they were intended as freight locos only.
Its number inspired Freightliner to name it Freightliner Bond.
The Freightliner company disposed of the fleet once they had enough new
Class 66s, and DRS now has nine of them The other three are in the West
Coast Railways fleet, two of them - 57 005 and 57 006 - having
previously spent time with the short-lived Advenza Freight company.

Welsh Highland journey - by Martin Evans

On 8 March I visited Porthmadog and travelled to Hafod y Llyn halt on
the Welsh Highland Railway, the present terminus for the winter
services due to work being carried out at both Caernarfon and on the
Blaenau Ffestiniog line. Above, Ffestiniog Double Fairlie no 10Merddyn Emrys brings the empty stock into Harbour station
for the 11.15am departure.

Merddyn Emrys running round after being coaled and
watered. Work at Caernarfon includes the replacement of the present
terminus by a new
million-pound facility. This project has commenced with the
demolition of the existing station the project scheduled to be
completed in 2018.

After reaching its present terminus at Hafod y Llyn preparing to run
round for a return to Porthmadog. This halt, between Pont Croesor and
Beddgelert is no longer served by normal Welsh Highland services; its
passing loop acted as terminus of trains from the Caernarfon direction
for a while in 2009-10 while the section on to Pont Croesor was still
under construction.

North East Wales Metro

As we have reported before, the Welsh Government has grand plans for a
'Metro' network in South Wales, and a North Wales equivalent has also
been mentioned, although with out much detail until now. A document
called 'Moving North Wales Forward' has now been issued, and can be downloaded
in PDF from the Government website.

It has lots of maps, charts and diagrams, and a long list of proposed
road improvements, plus a list of Rail improvements which is something
of a rag-bag, including things already under way, and aspirations for a
distant future:

1. Capacity Improvements, Chester Station:
development of options to accommodate increased number of rail services
through the station.
2. Integrated Transport Hubs and Improved Rail Access, Deeside:
development of options to improve access by rail, bus and active travel
to key employment sites in Deeside.
3. Integrated Transport Hubs, Wrexham: development of options to
improve rail / bus / active travel [walking and cycling] interchange at
Wrexham General Station and other key locations within the Wrexham
catchment area.
4. Electrification of the North Wales Coast Main Line continue to work
with partners to make the case for investment by the UK Government in
this scheme to improve access to HS2 and the wider UK market.
5. Rail Capacity Improvements between Wrexham and Chester: development
of options for further capacity improvements to facilitate additional
rail services.
6. Signalling and Linespeed Improvements on the North Wales Coast Main
Line: to be delivered by Network Rail and will facilitate faster and
more reliable rail journeys.
7. Linespeed Improvements on the Wrexham Bidston Line: development of
options to facilitate faster and more reliable rail journeys.
8. Holyhead Port Rail Freight Facilities: work with partners to
identify opportunities to develop rail freight facilities at Holyhead
Port and promote transfer of freight from road to rail.
9. New Wales and Borders Franchise: continue preparation of
specification for new franchise to operate from 2018.
10. Direct Rail Services to Liverpool via Halton Curve: development of
services between North Wales and Liverpool via Liverpool Airport using
a re-opened Halton Curve.

The 'North Wales Metro' previously mentioned has become a 'North East
Wales Metro' and like the South Wales version, the Government has
decided to use the term 'Metro' in an unusual way to indicate a network
of bus and rail routes. Possible new stations at Queensferry and North
Wrexham appear on one of the diagrams.

Rail Freight to Holyhead Port would be certainly very welcome, but it's
certainly going to take a lot of 'working with partners' to achieve.

Busy day at Wrexham - report by George Jones

On Saturday 11 March, the diversion of Manchester Piccadilly - South
Wales services via Wrexham saw 4 trains per hour on the Marches line
and the unusual sight of north/south trains passing in platform 1 &
2. Northbound trains were held for varying numbers of minutes to allow
the southbound trains to come through the single line section. At 11:06
(above) northbound 158 830 Birmingham to Holyhead train waited
for the passage at 11:08 of 175 103 with a Manchester to Milford Haven
service.

At 12:14 175 005 from Cardiff awaited the passing of 175 108
heading for Carmarthen. Later at 12:41 175 112 passed 175 102
which had waited since 12 29. Routing via Chester rather than via
Shrewsbury - Crewe direct added an extra hour or more to the journey
times, some of it down to dwell times at Wrexham or Chester.

Level Crossing Closures, Chester to Wrexham

From 10 March through to 14 April the level crossings on the
newly-doubled section of the Saltley Junction to Wrexham line
will be closed at various times whilst the final round of enhancement
work is undertaken. Network Rail say:

Balderton and Broad Oak level crossings will
temporarily close on Friday 10 March to Friday 24 March, and Green Lane
and Pulford Level Crossings will temporarily close on Saturday 25 March
to Friday 14 April. The work will see the crossings benefit from safer,
state-of-the-art obstacle detection systems, and new full barriers, as
part of the final phase of the North/South Wales Enhancement project.
Diversionary routes for road users will be in place throughout the
closures.

From this we can infer that the second track, originally planned to be
ready in 2015, will finally be brought into use in April after a long
delay for signalling systems to be updated, but the press release does
not explicitly say that.

Cambrian Corner

Wednesday 8 March marked the 30th anniversary of the last class 25 to
work the Cambrian Coast line. (March 8 1987 was a Sunday). The loco in
question, 25 109, unofficially named Castell
Trefaldwyn/Montgomery Castle hauled two empty ballast wagons to
Pwllheli on the 7th from Machynlleth, and Ken Robinson was on
hand with his camera. A small 'virtual quarry' was established at
Afonwen and ballast was loaded there (above) on 8 March using a local
JCB + driver , and ballast was then taken to pre-determined 'drops'
between Afonwen and Pwllheli.

The train is shown here in action dropping ballast near Abererch Halt.
25 109 returned to Machynlleth later that evening and was still at
Machynlleth on 9 March. By 11 March it was at Crewe, and was 'switched
off' at Basford Hall on 16 March. It was cut up at Vic Berry's,
Leicester on 14 July 1987.

The modern scene at Criccieth on 7 March, with 158 818 working
the 11:37 Pwllheli to Birmingham International (Martin Evans).

We understand that Network Rail do not consider it necessary to replace
all the remaining jointed track on this line with long-welded rail, so
the traditional clicking of wheels on joints will continue to be heard
on some sections.

6960 in 1985

The visit of 6960 'Raveningham Hall' at the Llangollen
Gala prompted Peter Hanson to send these two photographs taking
during the 'Great Western Railway 150' series of events in 1985.
The view above shows it approaching Saltney Junction with the
exhibition train which toured the former GWR network.

The preserved loco poses in Chester station; at that time it was
wearing an unusual early British Railways version of the livery, and
was attached to a flat-sided Hawksworth-design tender of the type
associated with the 'Modified Hall' sub-class of locos numbered from
6959 onwards, whilst today it has the older type of GWR tender. It was
normal in pre-preservation days for tenders to be interchanged, and it
could well be that as only the second example of the new loco type, it
was turned out from Swindon Works in 1944 with an older-pattern tender.
Does anyone know?

More 'Birkenhead Lines' gala views

A further selection of Llangollen Gala pictures which arrived s little
too late for the last issue. We have also received several more
fascinating pictures taken by readers in 1967, which will appear in the
next issue.

4 March - by Jim Ikin

45337, in the guise of 45292 and with a temporary mucked
up appearance, complete with painted-on 8H Birkenhead shed code drifts
into Glyndyfrdwy with a pick-up goods.

43106 ('The Flying Pig') running onto the rear of the
train ready to go to Corwen.

48624 taking the first passenger train of the day through Berwyn to
Corwen.

43106 pulling into Glyndyfrdwy station.

Pathfinder's Waste Train

On 11 March Pathfinder tours ran one of their 'track-bashing' trips,
starting from Didcot at 05:55 and visiting various goods loops etc. en
route to and from Knowsley Waste Terminal (on the Wihan - Kirkby line)
and the waste and stone terminals at Bredbury on the remains of the
Stockport Tiviot Dale line. Eric Shenton photographed the train passing
Rainford station at the start of the single-track section towards
Knowsley, with 66 002 leading ...

... and 66 125 trailing. If you are a fan of 'Slow TV' someone
has placed a video
on YouTube following the various movements at Bredbury.

Greg Mape's travels

Greg spent a week exploring North-East England in February. Above 142
087 waits at Bishop Auckland on 18 February to work the 13:25 to
Saltburn via Darlington. The line continues in the distance as the Weardale Railway to
Stanhope, an outpost of British American Rail Services (BARS), owned by
the Iowa Pacific railroad, on which a 'heritage' service is operated by
volunteers. The platform seen in the distance was built when the
company ran a short-lived commuter service, but could not get
permission to use the National Rail station. The heritage operation
does not serve Bishop Auckland, running only between Stanhope and
Witton-le-Wear, the first station out of Bishop Auckland.